A.D. Ibarra

-Compass Bank

The Maverick County Retired School Personnel Association held their annual Christmas Posada at the conference center of Compass Bank adjacent to Maverick County Lake.

The task at hand besides enjoying the wonderful amenities that afternoon was the fact that there are a significant amount of newly elected legislators coming in this next session and the TRTA and TRS being held in the balance.

According to EPISD Board Member Glenna Purcell, these are very trying times for retired school personnel as the state's contribution at this point in time stands at only one percent.

"Active members, teachers, contributed a very small portion that can go up, the school district has to kick in so much and the legislature contributes so much, but they can help us by increasing this contribution," stated Purcell who said that the state helped retirees by opening up Medicare last year which prevented the program from going under, "All of those things are going to have to change in order to keep us afloat.  If we can get the legislature to kick in enough, then our portion of it won't be so bad.  That's what we need to focus on."

Purcell closed by saying that we need to address the issue with our legislators and elected officials.  

The organization headed by former Ray Darr Elementary Principal Gracie Gonzalez is on the recruiting trail this month as they will make a pilgrimage to Austin to address legislature as a group and they are looking for educators to accompany them in order for their collective voice to be that much more prominent.